Northern Lights visible in 17 states of the U.S.? Thanks to solar storms!

Author: Duan Yuechu

A solar storm is a sudden and intense explosion on the sun that releases huge amounts of energy and high-speed charged particles. These charged particles, under the influence of the solar wind, quickly move toward the Earth's magnetic field, thus generating a solar storm. Solar storms have a wide range of impacts on the Earth, not only causing severe disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field, but also causing a series of problems for satellite communications, navigation systems, and power systems.

Solar storms can manifest in many forms, one of which is the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights are a beautiful natural phenomenon produced in the upper atmosphere near the Earth's magnetic poles under the influence of the Earth's magnetic field. It mainly appears in the polar circles near the magnetic north and south poles, that is, the areas near the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle.

The formation principle of the Northern Lights is that charged particles enter the Earth's magnetic field and are guided to the vicinity of the magnetic poles, where they collide with gases in the atmosphere, releasing energy and producing lights of different colors. These lights include green, red, purple and many other colors, forming the magnificent Northern Lights phenomenon.

There is a close relationship between solar storms and the Northern Lights. When a solar storm occurs, a large number of charged particles released will quickly reach the Earth under the influence of the solar wind, thereby interfering with the Earth's magnetic field. This magnetic field disturbance causes the charged particles in the atmosphere to be guided to the vicinity of the Earth's magnetic poles, thus forming the Northern Lights.

The aurora borealis is usually observed in high latitudes near the geomagnetic north and south poles, mainly in the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle spans several countries, including Alaska in the United States. Therefore, when the impact of a solar storm expands, it is possible that the aurora borealis will be observed in a wider area.

Why can solar storms make the Northern Lights visible in 17 states of the United States? This is because the large number of charged particles released by solar storms tend to move quickly along the magnetic lines toward the Earth's magnetic poles under the influence of the Earth's magnetic field, rather than just being confined to the vicinity of the Arctic Circle. When solar storms are particularly strong, the movement of charged particles will be wider, so they can cover more areas, including 17 states of the United States.

In short, a solar storm is a sudden and strong explosion on the sun, which can cause various manifestations on Earth, such as the northern lights. The charged particles released by the solar storm move under the influence of the earth's magnetic field, forming the colorful northern lights phenomenon. When the solar storm is particularly strong, the observation range of the northern lights will expand to 17 states in the United States. This phenomenon is not only shocking, but also reminds us that the impact of solar activity on the earth cannot be ignored.